Hypothetically speaking, for someone who wanted to try out living in Nigeria (Abuja or Lagos) for about a year, what should they expect  to spend and is ~ 5Million Naira realistic to budget on?

Also please help with the following to aid planning:

1. Can we get a decent apartment, in a decent area of Abuja/Lagos (where?), and how much for 1 year?

2. Aproximately how much would monthly living (minus rent) cost if not planning a showy albeit non-sufferhead life?

3. What would an average (new) car cost or the cost to clear a shipped car? (And is shipping even advisable?) - Also estimate cost of gas per month or per week please.

4. What would cell phone charges run per month (roughly) - in otherwords, I'd like to know how much people spend per average on their phones

5. What other costs should one keep in mind given a firm plan of N5M or less (if possible to save some $$).

Thanks, your input on any part that you have 1st hand information/experience would be greatly appreciated!

Really? Mmh.
Living by yourself or staying with friends and/or family?  I think Niaja rent may blow the budget,
I'd like to consider rent (especially) and if doable then great, if not, I might shack up with fam

Oh, I meant 5 Million Naira not dollars!!
Lol no wonder, of course I too can live on $5M - but, who dash monkey to throw that kind money away in 1 yr? I meant $40,000 or N5Million

I've changed the currency appropraitely.

the 5million will just go for a decent car in abuja!

I don't plan to work oh,

@osereka
Ok, if N5M for a car alone  - what type of car, if that's just for an average car then I may have to go with option B ie  I have a nice late model car that I could ship rather than let it sit idle for the yr.

Any idea on estimated cost to clear shipping?

Unless you're coming to Nigeria to start a business, you'd better stay where you are.
Don't come here to suffer. If you have kids, please don't even think about coming here. Thanks!

Really? Why?

I don't have any kids yet and think if ever I had a year to try this out it would be this coming year,

I'll take your advice into consideration (since you are the second person that has said so), but in considering all options, I'd like to have an idea of how much people spend on the following per week or month?

1. Gas for car

2. Cell phones - I know it will vary but a range would be appreciated, I dont expect to make 3 hr calls making meaningless conversations etc, I currently use about a 1000 mins per month on my US plan and intend not to exceed 1500 mins per month.

3. Food

etc

I should clarify that I am interested in what people (average - middleclass Nigerians) budget per month to help me plan better.

If you're a businesswoman, coming here makes sense because you can make millions by helping to develop the country. But as a worker, I don't see the point at all. What do we have in Nigeria that you don't have in the US?

hi there
i think u can survive in lagos with 5 milla !
there are people here who have far less than that (like me ) who are enjoying their life here
well u can convenienlty establish in lagos ,a flat at highbrow places in lagos like ikoyi or vi or ikeja goes for 450,000 - 900,000 per month,depending on the type of apartment u want ,a fairly used car about 1.6 - 3.6 milla hondas,toyata camry e.t.c
as for phone calls u call as ur pocket dictates,the cheapest is going to pay phone centres and call for as low as 20 bucks per minute
thats my little contribution,but abuja is more beautiful and clean,but boring!
Lagos is where u catch ur fun irrespective of the status of ur pocket be it high class or class ,there is a lot of fun to cater for different strata,,
so u decide, thats if u are serious

@Seun

I'm currently employed here but plan to take 1 yr off work ie I do not plan to work in Naija or otherwise for that yr - just living off some savings.
Answer to your question on what the US doesn't have, the long broken connections that I would like to re-establish, and possible business collaborations in Naija like you touched on.

@okeyz

Thanks for the hard numbers! Do you know what rent is like in Abuja? And to clear a car from the port? If I ship to naija I would have to sell it when I'm returning.

from what i understand

RENT in Abuja is expensive
secondly yu'd have to consider furnishing

so if you kept it simple like a 2 room apartment with toilet and bathroom(thats a typical BQ) possible N500, 000: per year

or you could consider staying in a hotel (that way u wouldn't have to furnish or bother abt paying bills or getting a generator)

About a car shipping a car means clearing it in Lagos then getting it to Abuja and with the model that you mentioned it may cost a bit

If you want to stay in Abuja you may not need a car you can just use their taxis its a pretty fair price and it may be safer for you

About phones pleas bear in mind that the networks are not as reliable as US so if your used to 1000 mins per month
average phone call is abt N45/min for GSM -Cellular networks

you can however try a contract plan with the above which should reduce the rates

another option is the PTO 's whose rates are considerably cheaper that's N25/min and you can make international calls with them to for as little as N15/min

So if you overall budget is abt N5million naira for a year I think you will be okay as long as
ACCOMODATION is fair and not extravagant
EXPENSES such as food,transport, and night outs are kept moderate
PHONE CALLS you pick a plan that fits your lifestyle and is fairly affordable


In all since you want to take a year off then keep it simple don't start bringing baggage and giving yourself extra stress
keep it simple

Lastly don't bring cash open a bank account from the US ( i think UBA has such facilities) that way you can operate it fully in Nigeria. Also keep your passport in a safety deposit box

if its lagos


then accomodation is difficult so STAY with family
Even if you get the highbrow flats your budget will go out the roof and you will need a car
besides that the culture shock of chaos in Lagos maybe hard to handle
even taxis in Lagos sometimes dey get comma . Enuf said

If its lagos then stick to family remember since its a year they will not pet you for long


I'd advise ABJ so you can aclimatise first

i had an auntie who was abroad for just 3 - 4yrs when she returned Lagos was sooo different to her that she couldn't handle it she just relocated to ABJ and comes to lagos every 2 months or so. gradually she's adjusting

according to Hakir in the property section, you can get a 3 bedroom for 600k-1.2m a year in Abuja.

In the auto section you can get a good car for N1.2-N2.2 million

you can budget N120,000-250,000 for phonecalls

what about reliable internet access -you can't do without it any more and electricity? you can get an inverter for about N20-000-N150,000+ depending on items you want on at all times

5m is a lot of money - I think this poster is just making mouth - of course you can live on less than half of that in Abuja/Lagos.

And sometimes I hate the contributions of Mr Seun - he says "Unless you're coming to Nigeria to start a business, you'd better stay where you are. 
Don't come here to suffer.  If you have kids, please don't even think about coming here.  Thanks!"

What is the meaning of that jagon? What man puts down his country like that? He is saying that all the people in Nigeria suffer and that all the people that have kids here have them and put them to suffer? Sometimes I think the man is deluged by so many factors, being that he operates this forum or what?

Most people I know live on less than £20,000/$40000 a year here in Nigeria and they live very nice life much better than the so called people in Europe and America.

Stupid boasting ingrates.

You can in fact live for a year on just one million naira. My consultancy fee for advice on just how to do this will be a very affordable 4 million naira, payable in advance, of course.

The so-called broken connections are not worth it. They will only be interested in taking your dollars.
Stay where you are, please. Don't come here to suffer for no good reason. Nigeria is not a tourist's heaven.

Seun:

The so-called broken connections are not worth it. They will only be interested in taking your dollars.
Stay where you are, please. Don't come here to suffer for no good reason. Nigeria is not a tourist's heaven.

well the truth might be bitter but its better to say it and run!!
Nigeria is really not a tourist heaven but you cant run away from your native country 4 life .
i think u can come for an exploratory visit first,stay in abuja two weeks ,stay in lagos for two wks and jugde 4 ur self ,although it might be a very short time to get the much needed info but you can always ask knowlegedable people about business opportunities before coming full time .
Please no tell them say u get dollars oooo
discretion is the watch word.
stay cool

This is for ABUJA

1. Can we get a decent apartment, in a decent area of Abuja/Lagos (where?), and how much for 1 year?

Decent accommodation in Abuja will cost you about N850k (or less) for a 3-bedroom apartment and about N650k- 700k for a 2-bedroom in Wuse II, Utako, Jabi, Garki II. If ure lucky you may get a good deal for same in Maitama and Asokoro.

Check accessibility, see what the roads leading to the area are like during rush hour. Check if its near a church or mosque ‘cos be sure u’ll be locked in on Friday afternoons and Sunday mornings – We love God here!!

Always confirm availability of water, security and no. of apartments per compound so u don’t end up living barracks-style. As always, see the place for urself b4 u commit.[/b]



2. Aproximately how much would monthly living (minus rent) cost if not planning a showy albeit non-sufferhead life?

1 carton of drinking water (i.e. 12 big bottles) = N800; 1 carton Fruit juice = N2,500, 1 crate soft drinks (coke) = N700; 1 carton beer = N1.8k, 1 carton stout – N2.2k

Perishable food, u can do well with N10,000 per week

Groceries cost will depend on ur taste: buying made in Naija = approx N5k per week, probably less; buying foreign stuff = approx N13k per week, maybe more. Made in Nigeria stuff is very good though, ‘cos everytime I go to London folks there make me bring our indomie and milo cocoa drink in cartons, and that’s among other stuff!!

Eating out: fast food joints – approx N600 per meal; 3-star restaurants – approx N1.5k per meal, 5-star restaurants – approx N8k per meal

Leisure: movies – N1.5k a pop, night outs – would depend on what u want to do, just hold enuff, drinking – prices depend on venue but there’s quite a variety of places to choose from. The city is quite vibrant so u wont be bored; Clubbing = N3k minus drinks

Personal maintenance: Gym – about N100k per year, grooming would depend entirely on u



3. What would an average (new) car cost or the cost to clear a shipped car? (And is shipping even advisable?) - Also estimate cost of gas per month or per week please.

I don’t know much about shipping.

A brand new in Nigeria is a few hundred dollars pricier than in the US. I know lots of people who buy in the US and ship so I don’t think its that much of a hassle, just know who ure dealing with.

Full tank for the average vehicle will cost u about N4k. Abuja is a breeze to drive in!! The roads are clean very wide, and the city actually works! No traffic jams, street lights that actually work, good scenery bla bla bla…,



4. What would cell phone charges run per month (roughly) - in other words, I'd like to know how much people spend per average on their phones

Local calls on GSM cost about N30/min, on CDMA about N10/min, international calls about N35/min, landline calls about N4/min from a landline.

U may need two phones ‘cos the network can be crappy


5. What other costs should one keep in mind given a firm plan of N5M or less (if possible to save some $$).

Car insurance

Generator (Pls. don’t use an inverter, we’re yet to get the hang of it here)

House help (N7k/mnth)/cook (N15k/mnth)/security guard (12k/mnth)/washer man(N6k/mnth) – u’ll have to decide on the service u need

Keep cash for local fabrics and tailoring – believe me u’ll be hooked on the Nigerian fashionista style. Also u’ll have lots of events u’d want to attend – in style!!

Also, have some funds kept aside for that fantastic investment opportunity that will definitely come ur way – they always do. Just do ur homework and make sure its secure, or better yet, stick to the IPO’s on the stock exchange.

Cheers

@poster

What's the point coming here for just one year, Just stay back in Yankee and earn more cash abegi

Abuja is really kind a expensive so just chill unless u have a business that is gonna tripple ur normal earning abroad

Stupid goats - where will she get the 5m from - thats 40000 dollars - how many people make that in America and spand it in a year? All these things u r offering her, can she afford them in America - ask her.

the long broken connections that I would like to re-establish, and possible business collaborations in Naija like you touched on.

like she said 'business collaboration' you use money to make money and what if she's planning to relocate? why the hostility sef take am easy o

if you're planning to relocate i think you should do only 3-4 months at a time instead of a whole year

It was just a simple question, why all the hostility, ??

The money that we outside Nigeria earn, can go much further in places like lagos and Abuja, you can live a few steps up than you would be used to in the west.

I think its a good idea to test the waters first for a few months, I hear lots of good things about living in Abuja though.

the hostility is because of the way people talk - telling her the luxuries that she cant even afford where she is coming from and talking as if it is sufferness to live in Nigeria.

Thats what I meant, the hostility in some of the responses.

One person even suggested that she earn triple outside before coming to Nigeria, is the cost of living in Abuja/Lagos really three times that of the USA/UK,

At least abroad she doesn't have parasites around her trying to take every last dollar from her pocket.

@ seun

I am getting more dissapointed by the day by the way you handle issues and make contributions. The question was so simple. why in the whole world would you paint NIGERIA that black. I think you need to travel round the country a little bit to appreciate this wonderful country.

To the poster,

I earn about half of that money you are talking about in NIGERIA an i i can still aford the following in lagos

1. A car (650k)
2. 2 bedroom apartment ( 300K)
3. a mobile phone ( 4k/month)
4. a satellite pay phone ( 9k/month)
5. 3 weeks vacation every year in the UK with MY WIFE

So i think with 5million you will enjoy more and even have enough to save,

Seun, In the UK, our parasite is called THE GOVERNMENT (both central and local). , lol.

and if u check these contributors - they have never stepped out of the cocoon in Nigeria.

I think its possible she has $40k. I know of quite a number of ppl in America who have cashed in on good mortgages and have that kind of balance from property appreciation; and they didnt even have to pay for the house, just a downpayment.

Also, about ppl not stepping out of their cocoon in Nigeria, I dont see the big deal about travelling abroad if all ur going to do hustle 16hrs a day and sleep wit one eye open.

There are so many ppl at home here living the life - WELL!! Its amazing how much faster u climb up the economic ladder when u stay back home. The last time I was in London, most of my old school mates were still doing menial jobs. A good friend was actually rejoicing that she finally got a job as a bank CLERK!!! I couldn't tell her that I was a step away from Manager in the bank where I work, had to tell her that I'm just managing o jare!! Sad - I couldn't even go shopping with her!!!

Imagine all those naija brothers and sister as cash tellers, bus conductors, street cleaners etc seeing u, they know ure naija and they keep asking - Naija abi?? and they're telling themselves ure some big man pikin. U guys should wake up!!!!!! No one will beg u to come home o, but ask ureself, wen u do, where do u think the guys u left behind would have reached??